Flexible bags, particularly those made of comparatively inexpensive polymeric materials, have been widely employed for the containment and disposal of various household materials such as trash, lawn clippings, leaves, and the like.
As utilized herein, the term “flexible” is utilized to refer to materials which are capable of being flexed or bent, especially repeatedly, such that they are pliant and yieldable in response to externally applied forces. Accordingly, “flexible” is substantially opposite in meaning to the terms inflexible, rigid, or unyielding. Materials and structures which are flexible, therefore, may be altered in shape and structure to accommodate external forces and to conform to the shape of objects brought into contact with them without losing their integrity. Flexible bags of the type commonly available are typically formed from materials having consistent physical properties throughout the bag structure, such as stretch, tensile, and/or elongation properties.
A common method of utilizing such bags is as a liner for a container such as a trash can or bin. It is often difficult to pull the top of a bag over the rim of the trash can or bin so that the bag stays in place in the trash can or bin. Materials are placed in the bag until the bag is filled to the capacity of the bag and/or container, or until the bag is filled to the desired level. When the bag is filled to capacity, or even beyond capacity due to placing additional materials above the uppermost edge of the bag, it is often difficult for the consumer to achieve closure of the bag opening since little if any free material remains to achieve closure of the bag opening above the level of the contents. If the filled bag is then set upon the floor by itself, another issue frequently encountered is a shifting of the bag contents which causes an imbalance within the bag and a corresponding opening of the closure of the bag with potential spillage of the contents.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a flexible bag which is easier to place securely over the rim of the trash can or bin, which is easier to close when filled and which resists reopening when closed.